Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-04
THE CzsR's BEAR HUNT.
Saved by the Brother of the Man
He Had Wronged.

hardened snow was crisp as toast, the
frozen trees glittered like silver in the
cloudless sunshine, and the woods were
all alive with she shrill blasts of bunting
horn and the shouts of men, telling that
the Gear Alexander |. and his courtiers
were out for bear hunt. No one could
have wished for finer day for the sport,
ana every face in the party was as bright
as the blue sky overhead-all except one.
This was the face OF the Emperor him.
self.
A bear hunt in his owa native forest
was Alexander's favorite amusement,
and no one could imagine what it was
that made him look so gloomy on this
beautiful morning, with such a capital
prospect for good sport
The time had been when his chosen
| comrade, Count Nikolai Soboleff-the best
sportsman in st. Petersburg next to the
Car hlmseif-had been beside him,
| as matter OF course, on all excursions
of this kind. But the two friends had
grown cold to each other, and causes OF
| quarrel had arisen and multiplied until
At length Alexander, having, or rather
| thinking he mad for the fault had never
Deen clearly proved, grave cause of Of
tense against his former FRIEND, ended by
banishing him 10 lonely fortress in the
| most out oil the way part OF Eastern Rus
STA.
But now the merry music OF the horns
and the familiar cries OF the hunters, the
braclng keenness Of the country air, the
| sight of the woods that he knew and loved
so we'll brought back the old times as
freshly as ever. lie remembered how
often he and SOb0lef had marched side by
side over the snow for miles. following
the sharp hoof-Drints Of an elk or the
| huge round paw-marks OF the black bear,
| and the thoughts of his old comrade
piDing in that dismal place rose up haunt
inglv in his mind.
| Hsrk! What was that? All the party
halted end held their breath to listen.
Yes, there was no mistake about it-tor
ia the distance was heard the shrill, long
drawn bugle call which told that the
| came was found.
The first note OF that weIl-kuown call
was quite enough to drive every other
| thought out of the mind of such a born
| sportsman as the Emperor Alexander.
The next moment he was hurrylng over
the hard, crisp snow Ia the direc Ion OF
| the sound, rife in hand.
AS the Car ran, his bright blue eyes
| kept glancing ceaselessly to the right and
! left in search of the expected bear, So
eager was he to catch sight of it that b.
never noticed how persistentls he MINI
self was being followed by a tall man
with bis face half hidden in huge iur
| cap, who seemed determined to stick to
| MIN wherever he went.
In the heat of the chase the hunters
We're quickly scattered, aud the Car
was soon left alone. But still he was
kept in sight by the mysterious man in
| the fur cap, who seemed, indeed. to be
drawing closer and closer 20 him, though
| without coming so near as to attract at
| tentiOn. More curious still, although no
| bear had appeared as yet, lie was already
/ lOOsening his hunting knife in its sheath,
as if expecting to have to use it very
| shortly.
Suddenly there was a crash in the
thicket, as a huge black mass came
bursting through the bushes, and Alex
| ander suddenly found himself face to
lace with the largest bear that he had
ever seen 10 his life. Such a meeting in
suca place would have startled most
men, for the black bear of North Russ la /,
| though less DANGEROUS than the terrible
American grizzly, Is very ugly GUS
toner at close quarters. But such periis
were nothing new to the hunter-em peror,
who instantly brought his gun to his
shoulder and fired.
But, unluekily, Alexander was so
| eager to make sure of the bear before any
of the other men could come up that he
did not aim as carefully as usual, and tn e
bullet, glancing along the monster r
| shoulders, hurt him just enough to max e
him dOubly furious. On he came with a
fierce rush, and rearing up on his hin d
legs, showing all his cruel white fangs i Il
a hideOus grin. AT the same moment the
Cars loot slipped, and down be came on
mis- face at the very feet of his savage
enemy.
AnOther instant and all would have
been over; but just then the tall stranger
sprang forward, and darling in under the
| huge extended fOrepaw, buried his long
knife TO the very hilt in the great olac X
body. For one moment man and beast
were rolling together in a confused mass,
amid spray OF flying snow; and then the
man rose painting 10 his feet, and tn
monster, with one c0nvnlsive struggle
lay dead before him.
"Whoeyer you are," cried Alexander
stepping toward him, ''yOu have saved
| my lie. Ask what you will, and you
| shall have it,"
mot till you know who l am and with
what purpose l came hither." said the
| stranger in a low, stern voice, throwing
back his thick cape as be spoke. Look
we'll into my face and see il you rem en- Der
! it.v
Had l not banished Nicolai Sobolef,''
| said the Gar, looking at him in ast0nish.
ment. II should say that you were he"
81 am his brother Michael" said the
| other, land l came here to-day 10 kill
you for the wrong you have done him.
| There was moments silence whiie
the two men looked tiXedly at each other.
"My brother was banished for a fault
| that he had not committed" resumed So
bOletf at length. "To him such punish
ment Is worse than death, and / vowed to
avenge him. / mixed with your men to-
day IN this disguise, meaning TO get near
| you in the course OF the hunt and Kill YOU
with my own hand"
Sand why have you saved my life,
them" asked tue Emperor, cycling hi
keenly.
because | should have accounted my
| self disgraced forever had let any brave
man die while stood near enough to help
him, and still more utterly disgraced
should have been in my own eyes had
accepted any favor at your hand without
FIRST telling you that had meant to take
your life, not to save it,"
Tears glistened III the Cars bold blue
eyes as he held out his hand TO the man
who had sought his life.
| "God be thanked" said be, "that 1t Is
not too late to make amends. This very
day / recall your brother from Danish
ment, and neither he nor you shall ever
| leave me again."
THE COST or CONGRESS.